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Key Biscayne Hosts Launch Party for New Citizen Scientist Project

The University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, Village of Key Biscayne, Key Biscayne Community Foundation and the Knight Foundation have teamed up to launch a new "Citizen Scientist" project that allows local residents to work side by side with world renowned scientists to study the ecology of Key Biscayne. Participants will study local beaches, reefs, mangroves, green spaces and waterways.

WHY:"The goal of this collaboration is to better understand our environment, how we use it, and how we can better conserve it for the future," said Melissa White, executive director of the Key Biscayne Community Foundation. "We are fortunate to have local residents and entities, like the Community Foundation, the Knight Foundation and UM, which are engaged and willing to work together with the community to enhance the quality of life for us all."

WHO:The project will recruit "citizen scientists" of all ages to participate in gathering information and exploring Key Biscayne and its marine environment. The first Key Biscayne Citizen Science initiative is a baseline survey to establish how residents see the island. The survey can be found at www.keyscience.org and is provided in English and Spanish.

HOSTS:The Board of Directors of the Key Biscayne Community Foundation, the Mayor of the Village of Key Biscayne Franklin Caplan and the Dean of the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science Dr. Roni Avissar.